AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Guardian newspaper reported that the British government, after the spread of unrest following the Southport incident in 2024, has allocated about £66 million in emergency security funding for mosques and centers related to the country's Muslim community. This figure has been stated as part of the government's support programs to protect religious places against security threats.
According to data obtained by The Guardian through a freedom of information request, the funding allocated for protecting mosques, Islamic schools, and centers related to Muslims has increased significantly in recent years. This figure has risen from about £73,000 in 2016-2017 to about £3 million in 2022-2023, £29 million in 2024-2025, and about £41 million in 2025-2026.
This report adds that the bulk of the emergency funding allocated after the Southport unrest was dedicated to mosques and Islamic centers. After the publication of false information about the identity of the perpetrator of the Southport attack, some mosques and centers related to asylum seekers were targeted by attacks and protest gatherings.
"Akeela Ahmed," the executive director of the Muslim Foundation of Britain, referring to these statistics, said the increase in security costs indicates the growth of concerns about hostility against Muslims in this country. She emphasized that to reduce the costs of protecting the Muslim community, in addition to security measures, the roots of hatred against Muslims must also be confronted.
The Guardian also referred to examples of security problems at Islamic centers and wrote that the "Jami" Islamic Center in Birmingham has faced several cases of attack, property destruction, and Islamophobic slogans in recent months. Officials of this center have announced that they have taken measures such as installing protective gates and covering windows to increase security.
Meanwhile, some Muslim activists believe that despite the increase in security budgets, the process of handling requests for financial support is still slow. "Shaista Gohir," the director of the Muslim Women's Network UK, said the allocation of security funding is a sign of increasing concerns, but the measures taken are not proportionate to the dimensions of the existing problem.
The British Home Office has announced that it continues the process of reviewing requests for security support and has allocated a total of £77.4 million in security funding to protect religious communities in 2026-2027. This ministry has emphasized that the goal of this program is to increase the security of religious centers against hate crimes.
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